Tonight, September 22, in Paris, the Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held at the Théâtre du Châtelet, where football’s largest individual award will be given out.
Men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or winners will be announced starting at 7 p.m. Nigerian time, and everyone will be watching to see who wins the coveted golden ball.
Although there are many talented people on the shortlist, a few names jump out following exceptional seasons. Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain, and Raphinha and adolescent sensation Lamine Yamal of Barcelona all have compelling arguments for the men.
Dembele, who has scored 35 goals and provided 14 assists in 53 appearances, is among the favorites going into the contest. His two assists in PSG’s 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final earned him the title of Ligue 1 Player of the Year.
In the meantime, Kane led the Bundesliga scoring charts with 26 league goals and eventually won a trophy with Bayern.
With 31 goals and the La Liga Golden Boot, Mbappe’s debut season at Real Madrid was spectacular, and Salah had yet another season that broke records. With 34 goals and 23 assists, the Liverpool forward tied Thierry Henry’s record for the fourth Premier League Golden Boot.
Barcelona won a domestic treble in Spain thanks to Raphinha’s 34 goals and 22 assists. With 39 goal contributions, his 18-year-old teammate Yamal is already being regarded as one of football’s best prospects.
Equal competition exists in the women’s race. It would be the third consecutive victory for Aitana Bonmati, who has already won the last two Ballons d’Or.
She played a crucial role for Spain and Barcelona after recovering from a health scare prior to the Euros. In Barcelona’s treble-winning season, Alexia Putellas, another previous winner, contributed 27 goals and is still a serious candidate.
Alessia Russo, the striker for Arsenal, has momentum after winning the Champions League and Euro 2025, where she scored in the championship game. She was also a joint-top scorer in the Women’s Super League at the end.
Lucy Bronze of Chelsea led her team to a domestic triple and helped England win the Euros despite suffering a fractured tibia.
Add some spice to the mix with Claudia Pina, the top scorer in the Champions League, and Mariona Caldentey of Arsenal, the WSL Player of the Year.
